Sosie Bacon

Sosie Ruth Bacon (born March 15, 1992) is an American actress and the daughter of actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. She had largely been insulated from her parents' careers during her childhood. Bacon's first role was playing the 10-year-old Emily in the movie Loverboy, which was directed by her father. James Duff, producer of The Closer, was compelled by Bacon's performance in Loverboy to suggest that she play the role of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson's niece Charlie in the fifth season of the show. Although her parents were opposed to her being involved in acting, Bacon accepted the role and appeared in four episodes alongside her mother, who played the role of Chief Johnson.

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Sosie Bacon was born on March 15, 1992 to parents Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Her mother gave birth shortly after filming Miss Rose White and named Bacon after the movie's art director, Sosie Hublitz.[1][2] Despite her parents having successful acting careers, Bacon was provided with a "fairly ordinary" upbringing according to producer James Duff, and Bacon's parents were determined that she not get into acting.[3] During the filming of The Closer, Bacon's mother would spend half of the year in Los Angeles, while Bacon would stay in Manhattan with her father and brother. Her mother credited this as leading to a closer bond between Bacon and her father.[4]

While directing Loverboy, Bacon's father decided to cast his daughter in the film. Asked about the choice to cast his daughter, he said he made the decision as a director, not as a father, because he believed his daughter was perfect for the role. He said of Bacon's response that "Sosie was cool. She kind of got it out of her system. She said, 'Oh, that was fun—now I’m going back to school.'" Bacon portrayed the main character Emily in a flashback, while the adult Emily was portrayed by her mother Kyra Sedgwick.[5][6] As Emily, she sang an a cappella version of the David Bowie song "Life on Mars?" that was described in a review from The New York Times as "grotesquely funny."[7][8] Her brother, Travis Bacon, was cast in a smaller role in the film.[9] Bacon's father praised her work on Loverboy, but said he would not be encouraging her to pursue acting further.[10]

Her performance in Loverboy is what James Duff, the producer of The Closer, has said first prompted him to suggest that Bacon begin acting.[3] Duff had wanted to write her into the series since she was twelve years old according to Bacon's mother, who plays the role of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the show.[11] However, Bacon's mother was opposed to the idea, insistent on her not getting involved with acting. Eventually Duff says he was able to get Bacon's parents to agree to her having a brief role on the series provided it did not interfere with her education. He described the agreement as being "more like a treaty negotiation" than an arrangement.[3] Bacon's mother, Kyra Sedgwick, has provided a different version of events saying that she had told Duff she would discuss it with her husband, but that Duff went to Bacon directly. Bacon accepted the role and at that point her mother says, "there was no turning back."[11]

On the show, Bacon portrayed Charlie who is left in the care of her aunt Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, portrayed by Sedgwick, and Johnson's husband Special Agent Fritz Howard.[3] The role lasted for four episodes and led to what Bacon's mother has said was one of the hardest scenes for her on the show, where Brenda is telling Charlie that she has to go home with Charlie responding by asking "Do you not want me to stay?"[12] Bacon's mother has said she would not find it unusual if Duff offered Bacon a more regular role on Major Crimes, a spin-off of The Closer series.[11]

On November 21, 2013, Bacon was crowned Miss Golden Globe 2014. Chosen each year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Miss Golden Globe assists with the Globes ceremony and is typically the daughter of Hollywood celebrities. The outgoing recipient is Francesca Eastwood, daughter of Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher.[15] She was cast in the leading female role of the 2014 independent film Off Season opposite Chance Kelly.[16]